Aims. Periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFF) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) are devastating complications that are associated with functional limitations and increased overall mortality. Although cementless implants have been associated with an increased risk of PFF, the precise contribution of implant geometry and design on the risk of both intra-operative and post-operative PFF remains poorly investigated. A systematic review was performed to aggregate all of the PFF literature with specific attention to the femoral implant used. Patients and Methods. A systematic search strategy of several journal databases and recent proceedings from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons was performed. Clinical articles were included for analysis if sufficient implant description was provided. All articles were reviewed by two reviewers. A review of fundamental investigations of implant load-to-failure was performed, with the intent of identifying similar conclusions from the clinical and fundamental literature. Results. In total 596 articles were initially identified, with 34 being eligible for analysis. Aggregate analysis of 1691 PFFs in 342 719 primary THAs revealed a significantly higher number of PFFs with cementless femoral implants (p < 0.001). Single-wedge and double-wedge (fit-and-fill) femoral implants were associated with a threefold increase in PFF rates (p < 0.001) compared with anatomical, fully coated and tapered/rounded stems. Within cemented stems, loaded-taper (Exeter) stems were associated with more PFFs than composite-beam (Charnley) stems (p = 0.004). Review of the fundamental literature revealed very few studies comparing cementless component designs. Conclusion. Very few studies within the PFF literature provide detailed implant information. Cementless implants, specifically those of single-wedge and double-wedge, have the highest PFF rates in the literature, with most investigations recommending against their use in older patients with osteoporotic bone. This review illustrates the need for registries and future PFF studies to record implant name and information for future analysis. Furthermore, future biomechanical investigations comparing modern implants are needed to clarify the precise contribution of implant design to PFF risk. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(1 Supple A):50–9

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe the demographic details of patients who sustain a femoral periprosthetic fracture (PPF), the epidemiology of PPFs, PPF characteristics, and the predictors of PPF types in the UK population.

United Kingdom National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines recommend the use of total hip replacement (THR) for displaced intracapsular fractures of the femoral neck in cognitively intact patients, who were independently mobile prior to the injury. This study aimed to analyse the risk factors associated with revision of the implant and mortality following THR, and to quantify risk. National Joint Registry data recording a THR performed for acute fracture of the femoral neck between 2003 and 2010 were analysed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the extent to which risk of revision was related to specific covariates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyse factors affecting peri-operative mortality (< 90 days). A total of 4323 procedures were studied. There were 80 patients who had undergone revision surgery at the time of censoring (five-year revision rate 3.25%, 95% confidence interval 2.44 to 4.07) and 137 patients (3.2%) patients died within 90 days. After adjusting for patient and surgeon characteristics, an increased risk of revision was associated with the use of cementless prostheses compared with cemented (hazard ratio (HR) 1.33, p = 0.021). Revision was independent of bearing surface and head size. The risk of mortality within 90 days was significantly increased with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade (grade 3: odds ratio (OR) 4.04, p < 0.001; grade 4/5: OR 20.26, p < 0.001; both compared with grades 1/2) and older age (≥ 75 years: OR 1.65, p = 0.025), but reduced over the study period (9% relative risk reduction per year).

THR is a good option in patients aged < 75 years and with ASA 1/2. Cementation of the femoral component does not adversely affect peri-operative mortality but improves survival of the implant in the mid-term when compared with cementless femoral components. There are no benefits of using head sizes > 28 mm or bearings other than metal-on-polyethylene. More research is required to determine the benefits of THR over hemiarthroplasty in older patients and those with ASA grades > 2.